Newness glorifies God
Commentary
This Sunday will fall on Mother's Day in churches throughout the United States, but the lessons pay the secular holiday no mind. Not a single mother -- for that matter, not a single woman -- is to be found in any of them.
The theme of the day, rather, is newness. Indeed, the caption for all three texts could be that single promise of God embedded in the Second Reading: "Behold, I make all things new." Newness means change, which can be disturbing (first lesson), inspiring (second lesson), or challenging (third lesson). But in all cases, God is glorified. Even in the face of death, God is glorified (John 13:31). And the good news is that God's people are up to the challenge. They are able to face newness and praise God (Acts 11:18).
Come to think of it, maybe these aren't bad lessons for Mother's Day after all. What could be more definitive of motherhood than the creation of new life? Maybe there is a "mother figure" here ... the one who gave life to us all, who promises to make all things new.
Acts 11:1-18
This passage presents Peter's report to the church concerning his baptism of the Gentile Cornelius. The incident itself is recounted in the preceding chapter. Some exegetes like to compare the two chapters to see how accurate Peter's recollection of the event is. But we will concern ourselves with broader issues.
The report is necessitated by complaints. What?! Church people -- complaining? Say it isn't so! Sorry, but back then in Bible times, people weren't always as open-minded as the good folks who no doubt make up your congregation. They used to resist major changes, departures from the way things had always been done. They even used to complain about it.
The complainers here are Christians of Jewish background, or, to be precise, male Christians of Jewish background (see v. 2). The content of their complaint is interesting. From chapter 10, we might have guessed that they would object to Peter preaching to Gentiles or, especially, to baptizing them. But what seems to have really set them off is that he ate with these people (v. 3). We recall, of course, that Jesus also got in trouble for eating with the wrong sort of people (Luke 15:2). What seems petty may actually be insightful. These complainers have correctly discerned the implications of Peter's action. Baptizing outsiders means that they can't be regarded as outsiders anymore. They become people with whom we share life and hospitality.
Peter tells his story, focusing on the vision and on the gift of the Spirit. The moral of the vision is that God can declare clean what has previously been thought unclean and it behooves God's people to keep up with such divine decisions. The Spirit provides the evidence or assurance of what God has done and is doing. The fact is, Peter says, the Spirit fell upon them "just as upon us."
This is scary business, but the inclusion of the Gentiles clearly set a scriptural precedent for the church changing its mind with regard to what (or, better, who) is acceptable to God. It is a charismatic decision, grounded in the obvious activity of the Spirit, but it is also an ecclesiastical one. Peter stresses that he took six people with him who can also testify to what the Spirit is doing (v. 12). And, of course, the mere fact that he makes this report to the church in the first place demonstrates respect for the community as a whole. The church should not change the whole direction of its life and mission because one person has a vision or a remarkable experience.
But, this time at least, the church did change direction -- or else few of us would be part of that church today. The critics are, first, silenced, then, given to praise God for what even they recognize as a gift of grace (note in v. 18: repentance, like forgiveness, is considered a gift of God).
What is most interesting to me is that nowhere in his report did Peter ever address the issue that brought the whole matter to a head in the first place. After everyone was done praising God for bringing life to the Gentiles, I rather suspect someone still wanted to ask, "Does this mean we have to eat with them?" Which may be why the whole issue comes up again in Acts 15.
Revelation 21:1-6
This is the same lesson that served as our Second Reading for All Saints Sunday (Nov. 2). On that day, the text seemed to speak primarily of the life beyond this world that awaits all the people of God, life without death or tears or pain. That message is still relevant for this Sunday, too.
In particular, we noted that the concept of a new heaven and a new earth serves as an affirmation of creation. Unlike the gnostics, who dreamed of salvation in some unworldly, ethereal realm, Christians hope for salvation that is physical and worldly. Indeed, the description of Paradise does not deal with the addition of new delights so much as with the substraction of things that spoil life. Death, sin, disease, and other causes of sorrow detract from the current heaven and earth. The new heaven and the new earth will be free of these defects -- but they will be fundamentally like what we call "heaven and earth." Life beyond death is not substantially different from life now. Life beyond death is what life now should be.
At Easter, this text takes on the distinctive accent of describing what resurrection ultimately means. It doesn't just mean that Jesus came back to life, or even that we too will live again after we die. It means that God makes all things new -- even heaven and earth. Resurrection affects the very cosmos, all of creation. It is, in fact, a new creation.
Have you ever had a product under warranty that kept breaking? I did once -- an item from an electronics store. It was "a lemon," I guess. The warranty said they'd fix it or replace it free. Guess which they did? They fixed it -- over and over and over again. It got a bit frustrating. Every time I'd haul it in, they'd fix it, but I knew it was just going to break again. After a while, I figured they knew this too -- but they just weren't going to cough up and replace this piece of junk with a new item that wouldn't need fixing in the first place.
Well, that's what I like about this text. I know the analogy's flawed, but at times I feel like this universe is beyond repair. It's basically a good world we live in, but no matter how much we (with God's help) try to fix it up, something else always seems to go wrong. Here -- in the fine print at the end of the Bible -- God seems to say: If it can't be fixed, I will give you a new one -- free! And unlike any warranty I ever had, this one is not voided by negligence or abuse. The promise of a new world holds even if what's wrong with the old one turns out to be our own fault. Sounds like a good deal to me.
John 13:31-35
This lesson is a repeat also. The verses were part of the Gospel reading for Maundy Thursday (April 9). The setting is the Last Supper, which in John's Gospel includes the story of Jesus washing his disciples' feet. Immediately before these verses, Jesus announces that Judas is going to betray him. Immediately following them, he predicts that Peter will deny him. So, the whole text is framed by recognition of the failures of discipleship.
Jesus is speaking of his death. He describes it as an act that will glorify God -- and as an act through which God will glorify him. What does he mean when he says, "Where I am going, you cannot come" (v. 33)? Many of his followers will die, some even by crucifixion, and they will join him in heaven with the Father. But what he is going to accomplish through his death is something that they would never be able to accomplish for themselves.
The last verses present Jesus' new commandment, that we should love one another. Obviously, the command to love is ancient -- see Leviticus 19:18, 34. Why does Jesus call this commandment "new"? Many will say the "new" part lies in his qualification, "just as I have loved you." We now have a new standard for love -- the self-giving love of Christ.
This may be true, but I think there is more. The commandment of love arises out of the glory of the cross and from this it derives its power. It isn't just that God has raised the standards a few notches in terms of what is expected of us. Remember -- right after Jesus says this, he acknowledges that his right hand disciple will deny him three times. He knows that the best of us have failed to meet the old requirements and are hardly ready for an advanced curriculum.
The Second Lesson says that God makes all things new. Even the basic commandment to love can be overhauled. From now on, it will be grounded in the cross. It, too, may be something that we cannot accomplish, but that Christ may accomplish for us, through us, and in us.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Acts 11:1-18
This story about Peter's mission to the Gentiles continues the account that began in 10:1, and it repeats in greater detail the content of Peter's vision that was already mentioned in 10:9-16. It is a remarkable story, because it treats rather lightly a dispute that was widespread in the New Testament church -- the dispute over conditions to be laid upon Gentile converts to the faith.
The apostles and disciples of Jesus, who were the earliest Christians, were originally Jews, and some of them, at least, continued to obey some of the stipulations of Jewish law. For example, Peter, in our text, had not before eaten any animals that were listed in the Torah as unclean (cf. Leviticus 11). In addition, these early Jewish Christians were circumcised, according to Jewish law (cf. Genesis 17:9-14). As Gentiles began coming into the early church, the question therefore arose as to whether or not they too had to be circumcised and follow table laws.
The apostle Paul was quite sure that following the Jewish law was no longer incumbent upon any Christians, because when Christians tried to follow the law, they were depending on themselves, whereas salvation depended entirely on faith in God's work in Jesus Christ. Thus, Paul's whole letter to the church at Galatia strongly condemns those who insist on the necessity of keeping Judaism's law. "If anyone is preaching to you a different gospel," Paul writes, "let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:9). And Paul's letter to the Romans emphasizes that Jews have no advantage over Gentiles. In Acts 15, however, a circumcision party led by James insists that Gentile Christians follow Jewish dietary restrictions, a decision with which Peter and Barnabas later agree, infuriating Paul (Galatians 2:11-14. For a full historical account, see Paul J. Achtemeier, The Quest for Unity in the New Testament Church).
In our text for the morning, however, Peter has not yet given in to the circumcision party. He has allowed Gentiles into the table fellowship of the church (perhaps meaning the Lord's Supper), verse 3, and he has baptized uncircumcised Gentiles into the faith (Acts 10:47-48). The Jews who are members of the circumcision party in Jerusalem therefore require Peter to explain his actions. At this point Peter repeats the account of the vision that he has received from God, and he testifies that God has given the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles, who are then baptized. Therefore, Peter says, "Who was I that I could withstand God?" (v. 17).
We applaud Peter's action, because we don't have many requirements for joining the church these days, do we? Almost anyone can belong. To be sure, some churches have Inquirers classes, in which they try to give some education in the Christian faith to those seeking membership. A few pastors lay rather strenuous requirements upon seekers: join a class that meets weekly at 7:30 a.m.; practice the daily discipline of prayer and Bible study; and exhibit a Christian lifestyle. But on the whole, it is very easy to join the church, and most churches are out there begging for members, trying to sell their program like another product on the market. All you need is a perfunctory confession of faith in Jesus and you're in. So, from such a standpoint, why wouldn't Peter accept the Gentile converts? Everyone should be accepted.
On the other hand, within the church, those who have been members for a long time often have the attitude that the circumcision party had in our text. They don't want to let people in of whom they disapprove. How can Mr. So and So be a church member? He drinks and smokes. That woman certainly shouldn't be in our circle; she had a divorce, and now she's running around with another man. That guy is actually on welfare; that woman wears that short, revealing dress; that man was very rude to me the other day. They certainly don't act like Christians ought to act. There are a lot of people on whom we would like to impose our rules, aren't there? And so we would fit in very well with the circumcision party.
In fact, we probably would have a hard time accepting Jesus, just like the Pharisees did. With whom did he associate? With all of those lawbreakers and social subversives. He even said sinners and prostitutes would get into the kingdom before us. We, too, would probably want to crucify him for the offense he was.
But Peter's statement is a good corrective for us. "Who was I that I could withstand God?" God, you see, chooses people whom we would never choose. He's always surprising that way. He does not go by the rules of the politically correct and the socially acceptable. He singles out that long-haired youth in the rock group or that confessed criminal in jail; he touches the life of a struggling single mother or the heart of a timid, middle-aged spinster. And he pours out his Holy Spirit upon them and claims them for his purpose. They show up at our church door, wanting to sit at the Lord's table with us, and we, unless we belong to that circumcision party, receive them as God has already done. For who are we that we can withstand God?
The membership of the Christian Church is all God's doing. Have you noticed that in our readings in Acts? It was God who sent his Holy Spirit on the Gentiles and converted them to the faith. It was God who changed a Saul into Paul, and who converted a Roman centurion named Cornelius, just as he changed that Ethiopian eunuch to whom Philip preached, and that multitude on the day of Pentecost. God is at work through his Holy Spirit, multiplying his faithful throughout the world. And that action of God of which we read in Acts is still going on today. God is on the move, advancing toward his kingdom, and in all of our difficulties and sufferings, we need to keep that in mind.
Let us say two more things about those who are converted in the stories of the Acts of the Apostles. First of all, they are converted into the church. Entering the Christian life is not an individualistic occurrence. Rather, all of those early Jewish and Gentile Christians of whom we read in Acts immediately were incorporated into a fellowship. No one is ever a Christian all by him- or herself. Rather, they join a company of people and are called to live the Christian life within that company -- loving one another, serving one another, caring each for the other. When we become Christian, we are called to love God, but we are equally called to love our neighbor, and that neighbor, first of all, is in the church. As Paul writes, "As we have opportunity, let us do good to all ... but especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10).
Second, conversion to the Christian faith and into the church is never an end in itself. God does not send his Holy Spirit to convert us, and then that's the total sum of his action. No. God converts us to a new way of life. We repent and literally "turn around." And then we walk, we walk in a new direction, guided and strengthened always for God's purpose for us. God has made us Christians in order to do a task for him in his world. And our conversion is only the beginning of that lifelong task. By the mercy of God in Jesus Christ, he has poured out his Holy Spirit upon us and made us Christians. We have been converted and baptized and now we set out on a journey, working all along the way to serve and to glorify our Savior.
The theme of the day, rather, is newness. Indeed, the caption for all three texts could be that single promise of God embedded in the Second Reading: "Behold, I make all things new." Newness means change, which can be disturbing (first lesson), inspiring (second lesson), or challenging (third lesson). But in all cases, God is glorified. Even in the face of death, God is glorified (John 13:31). And the good news is that God's people are up to the challenge. They are able to face newness and praise God (Acts 11:18).
Come to think of it, maybe these aren't bad lessons for Mother's Day after all. What could be more definitive of motherhood than the creation of new life? Maybe there is a "mother figure" here ... the one who gave life to us all, who promises to make all things new.
Acts 11:1-18
This passage presents Peter's report to the church concerning his baptism of the Gentile Cornelius. The incident itself is recounted in the preceding chapter. Some exegetes like to compare the two chapters to see how accurate Peter's recollection of the event is. But we will concern ourselves with broader issues.
The report is necessitated by complaints. What?! Church people -- complaining? Say it isn't so! Sorry, but back then in Bible times, people weren't always as open-minded as the good folks who no doubt make up your congregation. They used to resist major changes, departures from the way things had always been done. They even used to complain about it.
The complainers here are Christians of Jewish background, or, to be precise, male Christians of Jewish background (see v. 2). The content of their complaint is interesting. From chapter 10, we might have guessed that they would object to Peter preaching to Gentiles or, especially, to baptizing them. But what seems to have really set them off is that he ate with these people (v. 3). We recall, of course, that Jesus also got in trouble for eating with the wrong sort of people (Luke 15:2). What seems petty may actually be insightful. These complainers have correctly discerned the implications of Peter's action. Baptizing outsiders means that they can't be regarded as outsiders anymore. They become people with whom we share life and hospitality.
Peter tells his story, focusing on the vision and on the gift of the Spirit. The moral of the vision is that God can declare clean what has previously been thought unclean and it behooves God's people to keep up with such divine decisions. The Spirit provides the evidence or assurance of what God has done and is doing. The fact is, Peter says, the Spirit fell upon them "just as upon us."
This is scary business, but the inclusion of the Gentiles clearly set a scriptural precedent for the church changing its mind with regard to what (or, better, who) is acceptable to God. It is a charismatic decision, grounded in the obvious activity of the Spirit, but it is also an ecclesiastical one. Peter stresses that he took six people with him who can also testify to what the Spirit is doing (v. 12). And, of course, the mere fact that he makes this report to the church in the first place demonstrates respect for the community as a whole. The church should not change the whole direction of its life and mission because one person has a vision or a remarkable experience.
But, this time at least, the church did change direction -- or else few of us would be part of that church today. The critics are, first, silenced, then, given to praise God for what even they recognize as a gift of grace (note in v. 18: repentance, like forgiveness, is considered a gift of God).
What is most interesting to me is that nowhere in his report did Peter ever address the issue that brought the whole matter to a head in the first place. After everyone was done praising God for bringing life to the Gentiles, I rather suspect someone still wanted to ask, "Does this mean we have to eat with them?" Which may be why the whole issue comes up again in Acts 15.
Revelation 21:1-6
This is the same lesson that served as our Second Reading for All Saints Sunday (Nov. 2). On that day, the text seemed to speak primarily of the life beyond this world that awaits all the people of God, life without death or tears or pain. That message is still relevant for this Sunday, too.
In particular, we noted that the concept of a new heaven and a new earth serves as an affirmation of creation. Unlike the gnostics, who dreamed of salvation in some unworldly, ethereal realm, Christians hope for salvation that is physical and worldly. Indeed, the description of Paradise does not deal with the addition of new delights so much as with the substraction of things that spoil life. Death, sin, disease, and other causes of sorrow detract from the current heaven and earth. The new heaven and the new earth will be free of these defects -- but they will be fundamentally like what we call "heaven and earth." Life beyond death is not substantially different from life now. Life beyond death is what life now should be.
At Easter, this text takes on the distinctive accent of describing what resurrection ultimately means. It doesn't just mean that Jesus came back to life, or even that we too will live again after we die. It means that God makes all things new -- even heaven and earth. Resurrection affects the very cosmos, all of creation. It is, in fact, a new creation.
Have you ever had a product under warranty that kept breaking? I did once -- an item from an electronics store. It was "a lemon," I guess. The warranty said they'd fix it or replace it free. Guess which they did? They fixed it -- over and over and over again. It got a bit frustrating. Every time I'd haul it in, they'd fix it, but I knew it was just going to break again. After a while, I figured they knew this too -- but they just weren't going to cough up and replace this piece of junk with a new item that wouldn't need fixing in the first place.
Well, that's what I like about this text. I know the analogy's flawed, but at times I feel like this universe is beyond repair. It's basically a good world we live in, but no matter how much we (with God's help) try to fix it up, something else always seems to go wrong. Here -- in the fine print at the end of the Bible -- God seems to say: If it can't be fixed, I will give you a new one -- free! And unlike any warranty I ever had, this one is not voided by negligence or abuse. The promise of a new world holds even if what's wrong with the old one turns out to be our own fault. Sounds like a good deal to me.
John 13:31-35
This lesson is a repeat also. The verses were part of the Gospel reading for Maundy Thursday (April 9). The setting is the Last Supper, which in John's Gospel includes the story of Jesus washing his disciples' feet. Immediately before these verses, Jesus announces that Judas is going to betray him. Immediately following them, he predicts that Peter will deny him. So, the whole text is framed by recognition of the failures of discipleship.
Jesus is speaking of his death. He describes it as an act that will glorify God -- and as an act through which God will glorify him. What does he mean when he says, "Where I am going, you cannot come" (v. 33)? Many of his followers will die, some even by crucifixion, and they will join him in heaven with the Father. But what he is going to accomplish through his death is something that they would never be able to accomplish for themselves.
The last verses present Jesus' new commandment, that we should love one another. Obviously, the command to love is ancient -- see Leviticus 19:18, 34. Why does Jesus call this commandment "new"? Many will say the "new" part lies in his qualification, "just as I have loved you." We now have a new standard for love -- the self-giving love of Christ.
This may be true, but I think there is more. The commandment of love arises out of the glory of the cross and from this it derives its power. It isn't just that God has raised the standards a few notches in terms of what is expected of us. Remember -- right after Jesus says this, he acknowledges that his right hand disciple will deny him three times. He knows that the best of us have failed to meet the old requirements and are hardly ready for an advanced curriculum.
The Second Lesson says that God makes all things new. Even the basic commandment to love can be overhauled. From now on, it will be grounded in the cross. It, too, may be something that we cannot accomplish, but that Christ may accomplish for us, through us, and in us.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Acts 11:1-18
This story about Peter's mission to the Gentiles continues the account that began in 10:1, and it repeats in greater detail the content of Peter's vision that was already mentioned in 10:9-16. It is a remarkable story, because it treats rather lightly a dispute that was widespread in the New Testament church -- the dispute over conditions to be laid upon Gentile converts to the faith.
The apostles and disciples of Jesus, who were the earliest Christians, were originally Jews, and some of them, at least, continued to obey some of the stipulations of Jewish law. For example, Peter, in our text, had not before eaten any animals that were listed in the Torah as unclean (cf. Leviticus 11). In addition, these early Jewish Christians were circumcised, according to Jewish law (cf. Genesis 17:9-14). As Gentiles began coming into the early church, the question therefore arose as to whether or not they too had to be circumcised and follow table laws.
The apostle Paul was quite sure that following the Jewish law was no longer incumbent upon any Christians, because when Christians tried to follow the law, they were depending on themselves, whereas salvation depended entirely on faith in God's work in Jesus Christ. Thus, Paul's whole letter to the church at Galatia strongly condemns those who insist on the necessity of keeping Judaism's law. "If anyone is preaching to you a different gospel," Paul writes, "let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:9). And Paul's letter to the Romans emphasizes that Jews have no advantage over Gentiles. In Acts 15, however, a circumcision party led by James insists that Gentile Christians follow Jewish dietary restrictions, a decision with which Peter and Barnabas later agree, infuriating Paul (Galatians 2:11-14. For a full historical account, see Paul J. Achtemeier, The Quest for Unity in the New Testament Church).
In our text for the morning, however, Peter has not yet given in to the circumcision party. He has allowed Gentiles into the table fellowship of the church (perhaps meaning the Lord's Supper), verse 3, and he has baptized uncircumcised Gentiles into the faith (Acts 10:47-48). The Jews who are members of the circumcision party in Jerusalem therefore require Peter to explain his actions. At this point Peter repeats the account of the vision that he has received from God, and he testifies that God has given the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles, who are then baptized. Therefore, Peter says, "Who was I that I could withstand God?" (v. 17).
We applaud Peter's action, because we don't have many requirements for joining the church these days, do we? Almost anyone can belong. To be sure, some churches have Inquirers classes, in which they try to give some education in the Christian faith to those seeking membership. A few pastors lay rather strenuous requirements upon seekers: join a class that meets weekly at 7:30 a.m.; practice the daily discipline of prayer and Bible study; and exhibit a Christian lifestyle. But on the whole, it is very easy to join the church, and most churches are out there begging for members, trying to sell their program like another product on the market. All you need is a perfunctory confession of faith in Jesus and you're in. So, from such a standpoint, why wouldn't Peter accept the Gentile converts? Everyone should be accepted.
On the other hand, within the church, those who have been members for a long time often have the attitude that the circumcision party had in our text. They don't want to let people in of whom they disapprove. How can Mr. So and So be a church member? He drinks and smokes. That woman certainly shouldn't be in our circle; she had a divorce, and now she's running around with another man. That guy is actually on welfare; that woman wears that short, revealing dress; that man was very rude to me the other day. They certainly don't act like Christians ought to act. There are a lot of people on whom we would like to impose our rules, aren't there? And so we would fit in very well with the circumcision party.
In fact, we probably would have a hard time accepting Jesus, just like the Pharisees did. With whom did he associate? With all of those lawbreakers and social subversives. He even said sinners and prostitutes would get into the kingdom before us. We, too, would probably want to crucify him for the offense he was.
But Peter's statement is a good corrective for us. "Who was I that I could withstand God?" God, you see, chooses people whom we would never choose. He's always surprising that way. He does not go by the rules of the politically correct and the socially acceptable. He singles out that long-haired youth in the rock group or that confessed criminal in jail; he touches the life of a struggling single mother or the heart of a timid, middle-aged spinster. And he pours out his Holy Spirit upon them and claims them for his purpose. They show up at our church door, wanting to sit at the Lord's table with us, and we, unless we belong to that circumcision party, receive them as God has already done. For who are we that we can withstand God?
The membership of the Christian Church is all God's doing. Have you noticed that in our readings in Acts? It was God who sent his Holy Spirit on the Gentiles and converted them to the faith. It was God who changed a Saul into Paul, and who converted a Roman centurion named Cornelius, just as he changed that Ethiopian eunuch to whom Philip preached, and that multitude on the day of Pentecost. God is at work through his Holy Spirit, multiplying his faithful throughout the world. And that action of God of which we read in Acts is still going on today. God is on the move, advancing toward his kingdom, and in all of our difficulties and sufferings, we need to keep that in mind.
Let us say two more things about those who are converted in the stories of the Acts of the Apostles. First of all, they are converted into the church. Entering the Christian life is not an individualistic occurrence. Rather, all of those early Jewish and Gentile Christians of whom we read in Acts immediately were incorporated into a fellowship. No one is ever a Christian all by him- or herself. Rather, they join a company of people and are called to live the Christian life within that company -- loving one another, serving one another, caring each for the other. When we become Christian, we are called to love God, but we are equally called to love our neighbor, and that neighbor, first of all, is in the church. As Paul writes, "As we have opportunity, let us do good to all ... but especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10).
Second, conversion to the Christian faith and into the church is never an end in itself. God does not send his Holy Spirit to convert us, and then that's the total sum of his action. No. God converts us to a new way of life. We repent and literally "turn around." And then we walk, we walk in a new direction, guided and strengthened always for God's purpose for us. God has made us Christians in order to do a task for him in his world. And our conversion is only the beginning of that lifelong task. By the mercy of God in Jesus Christ, he has poured out his Holy Spirit upon us and made us Christians. We have been converted and baptized and now we set out on a journey, working all along the way to serve and to glorify our Savior.
